


the Collector

by Lotolle



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angels, Demons, Fiction, Gen, Original Character(s), Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-02-26 08:10:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13231623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lotolle/pseuds/Lotolle
Summary: Meet Domingo, a low-level incubus who has garnered a reputation for being able to get (almost) anything for anyone. His clientele range from humans to demons to godly creatures of every pantheon. And just like any job, there's always someone left unhappy with his work.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based off a dream I had some years ago. I've been slowly fleshing it out and decided to finally write it out!

New office, new start. Domingo set down the last of the boxes he’d lugged upstairs and looked around at the space. It wasn’t that bad, all things considered. His last office had been burned down to nothing, not even nails left behind. At least this time, he had better insurance. Of course, the problem wasn’t going to be the new space, or reaching out to clients and letting them know he’d moved. Again. No, the problem was going to be finding a new secretary. He really didn’t think it would be this hard to keep someone more than a few weeks at a time! Honestly, that last gal was just being dramatic. Domingo rolled up his sleeves, and set about making sure everything was neat and organized. Until he got some help, he’d have to go back to doing everything himself. How tedious.

The first to apply was an older woman. She was sweet, really, though Domingo wasn’t at all shocked when not four weeks later, she quit. The woman was shaking, teary eyed as she apologized and hastily stuffed her belongings into a box.

“No paycheck is worth this!”

“Well, thank you for your services, Gerty. If there’s anything I can…”

“No! No, you stay away from me!” Gertrude stormed out of the office, sobbing, and Domingo groaned.

The next to apply was a little younger. Her name was Ashlyn.

“What the fuck was that?!”

“Ash, sweetie…!”

“Don’t touch me, you fucking psycho!”

The third was a man named Bob. Bob. Domingo caught himself giggling over the name even two weeks after Bob stormed out. The fourth was Elena. Then Tom. Price. Angie. Miguel. Sonia, Evelyn, Roberta. Each time they came with such high hopes, lured by the hefty paycheck and benefits, and weeks later, they were gone.

When Julian came up to the door, Domingo almost felt bad. The man looked so fresh-faced and eager to work. He had a cute, crooked smile, and a very brightly colored bowtie to complete his hipster ensemble. Honestly, he looked like he’d hopped out of a magazine.

“You read through the expectations for the job?”

“Yes Sir.”

“And you understand that there are…risks involved?”

“I wasn’t sure what that meant, but considering the area, I can guess. This is a rough part of town.”

Domingo smiled a bit. He wasn’t wrong, really.

“I only ask because I’ve had trouble with my secretaries in the past. This job is very demanding, as am I, and I’d like to make sure you understand. That being said, there is no obligation for a two weeks’ notice should you decide to leave.”

“You really have that many people walk out on you over a desk job?” Julian looked a little perplexed. Either he was desperate for a job, or he was really so sweet that he wasn’t going to inquire further. Still, Domingo wasn’t about to start getting picky. He was getting tired of trying to manage everything by himself.

“It gets complicated.”

“Because you’re a demon?”

Domingo paused and looked at Julian, who just smiled.

“Nothing wrong with that. One of my cousins is half, and according to my mom, my great-great grandmother was too.”

“Well, you’re already two steps ahead of my past employees then,” Domingo set Julian’s resume aside and sat forward in his chair, fingers interlaced. “Then let’s not wait for the first big incident. I deal with a lot of diverse clientele, and sometimes, they don’t like the business I run. I’ll do everything I can to ensure your safety, but I know this isn’t exactly for everyone.”

Julian giggled and shrugged as if this news were nothing. Hell, he was really that sweet, wasn’t he?

“My last job wasn’t the best either, but I stuck around for a while.”

“Where did you work before?”

“Retail. I worked at a perfume counter.”

“You are a brave soul, aren’t you?”

“Look, Mr. Domingo…”

“Just Domingo is fine.”

“Domingo,” Julian amended. “One of my friends worked for you before.”

“…it wasn’t Aubrey, was it?”

Another lighthearted laugh and Julian shook his head.

“No, her name was Shaundra.”

“Oh…oh my. And you still applied?”

“I’m not gonna lie, she told us some horrible things about what she saw here, but it sounded interesting to me. I don’t look it, but I like some fun in my life. My last job was boring, school was boring, and if something is gonna kill me, I’d rather it be some demon than boredom.”

“Then I hope you find this job interesting.”

Julian really was a good worker. He showed up early every morning, and always had a smile on his face. Domingo was starting to wonder if he was mixed with something, maybe a fae or some kind of sprite. Everything went pretty smooth for the first week or so, until Domingo’s clients began to show up. There was a heavy knock at the door, and Julian quickly stood to open it when it suddenly burst in, shoving him back. A very irate looking woman stood there, clad all in white and silver, her eyes burning with intense light. Julian felt a weight pressing on every inch of his body, and he started falling to his knees.

“Domingo!” The woman roared, and Julian swore he saw actual fire spew from her mouth and nostrils.

“Evana!” Domingo stepped out of his office, laying on the charm thick as he could. “My lady…”

“Save your flattery, demon, or I’ll have your tongue!” She stormed up to Domingo and grabbed him by the neck, easily lifting him off the ground. “You thieving, conniving…!”

“Would you like to sit?” Domingo managed to croak out despite the choke hold on his throat.

“No! Where is my seal? Who did you sell it to!?”

Domingo sputtered and gasped, trying to gulp down a breath.

“Need air…!”

Evana growled, and smoke poured from her nose. After a moment, she finally let go, and Domingo dropped to the floor in a coughing heap.

“Talk!”

“Didn’t…sell it!” Domingo rubbed his throat and got up to his feet. He took a moment to straighten out his suit and hair before continuing. “I didn’t sell your seal, Evana. It was paid to me for a service.”

“By who?”

“I keep strict anonymity for my clients, you know that.”

“I demand to know who gave it to you! I’ll have their head on a pike for this!”

“And I’ll lose a client. I’m sorry you made this trip for nothing.”

This didn’t look like it was going to end well. Evana loomed over Domingo, and Julian tried to quietly creep back to his desk. Bad idea. Evana’s eyes flicked to him and before anyone else could move, she was standing over him. Julian gasped as he was yanked up into the air, as if he didn’t weigh quite a bit!

“How strict is your anonymity?”

“Evana, put him down,” Domingo tried to keep a smooth tone, but he wasn’t about to start losing secretaries like this. “Please, step into my office and we can talk!”

“I only want a name!”

“Only a name? You don’t want your seal back?”

Evana paused, eyes fixed on Domingo. A low rumble echoed in her chest, and she set Julian back down, but didn’t let go of his sweater.

“Where is it?”

“I have it, here. I haven’t used it for any deals, but if you want it back, I’ll hand it over gladly.”

“The name.”

“I can’t give that to you, but…perhaps something of theirs has lingered on your seal.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Give it to me, now!”

“Let the young man go and I will.”

“Don’t play with me, Boy! I know how you are, you snake!”

“Your seal for his safety. I don’t think that’s a bad offer.”

A fierce roar was her response, and Julian quickly cupped his hands over his ears to try and drowned out the noise. He was going to be deaf after this, he just knew it! Evana tightened her grip, and then finally, she let go.

“My seal.”

Domingo worked his jaw, trying to regain his hearing as he walked back into his office. On the far wall was a large, black wardrobe. It was adorned beautifully, and to any onlooker, it was just a Goth’s fantasy wardrobe. Inside however, was very different. Domingo pulled it open, and before him lay a vast warehouse, full to the ceiling with precious items and ancient relics. All manner of things were kept in there, some of them seemingly worthless, but to the knowing observer, this was a treasure trove. Domingo stepped inside, and walked over to one of the crates, sealed with Norse runes. He carried the crate back out, closed up the dresser, and walked over to Evana.

“Your seal, my lady.”

Evana yanked it out of his hands and ripped the cover off the crate. Inside sat a large, round seal that looked like an old belt buckle. Etched into the aged metal were more runes, and in the center, a dragon’s head. Evana smiled and picked up the seal carefully.

“There you are.”

Domingo waited a tense moment as Evana inspected the seal. She took a whiff of its surface, and her brow scrunched.

“Odin.”

“Is there anything else I can help you wi—“ Before Domingo could finish, Evana flew out of the office in a rage, leaving a mess of packing peanuts and splintered wood behind. Domingo huffed and looked over at Julian.

“Are you alright?”

“What…” Julian blinked, wondering how much of that he’d imagined. “What is she?”

“A wyvern, a very vengeful one.”

“And she did all that for an old hunk of metal?” Julian flopped back into his chair, clutching at his chest. “Was she going to kill us?”

“Umm…”

“She was, wasn’t she?”

“Only if she thought I’d sold her seal to someone else. Those are precious to her kind. I mean, really, anything shiny is precious to them, but still.”

“Oh my God.”

“…do you need a drink of water?”

“No, I just, need a minute,” Julian took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “That was all real?”

“Just wait until Galora the Giantess comes by looking for something. That’ll really blow your mind,” Domingo teased, but in truth, he felt this might be the end of Julian’s employ. He was lucky though; Gertrude had nearly been devoured by a swarm of hellion maggots when she was working there. The demons of Gluttony’s hoard could be so rude sometimes. Julian gawked at Domingo, and looked like he was questioning every life choice he’d ever made.

“If you need the rest of the day off, I understand. I only have two clients to see today.”

“Yeah.”

“Julian, are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah,” Julian nodded, face still pale and eyes wide. He stood up from his desk, grabbed his keys and phone, and walked towards the door. Now Domingo really felt guilty. He pursed his lips and looked down at the mess Evana had left behind. No way in hell was he cleaning that up himself. He walked over to the broom closet and looked in at the vacuum there.

“Go on, clean that up.”

The vacuum turned on and set about its task, and Domingo went back into his office to wait for his first _scheduled_ appointment. This really wasn’t too bad, he thought. Honestly! If Evana were really that offended, she would have slit their throats and devoured them both before tearing the place apart to find her seal. Now, all that anger was pointed on someone else.

The next day, Domingo noticed Julian wasn’t at his desk. Normally, he was there right at eight to get things started. Domingo let out a heavy breath, but hey, this was just how his business worked. It really wasn’t for everyone, even people looking for adventure. Domingo checked the schedule then headed out to get to work. He could get very busy at times, usually around certain holidays and towards the end of the month, for some strange reason. On a good day, the work wasn’t too bad. Go somewhere, con someone out of this thing, bring it back to the client, get paid in haunted relics, and use them to either get other items or garner favors from very powerful beings. Even Lust himself still owed Domingo a favor, though he was saving that for a very rainy day.

This job was a little tricky, although Domingo was always up for a challenge. And what could be more challenging than convincing a god to let go of one of their belongings? Gods were such a finicky type, really. They were incredibly pompous, not to mention powerful. Even the weakest among them could crush him without a thought. And there were so many of them, it was hard to keep track! At the very least, there was only one Bast to contend with. It was hard to maintain godhood in a world so torn by different religions. And with Christianity taking up the bulk, that made it even harder for other gods. Without belief, without the humans that had created them, gods faded from existence. It took creativity and stubbornness to continue existing in this world.

“My goddess,” Domingo bowed before Bast, who looked at least a little pleased with his gesture.

“Collector,” She gave a slight nod, keen eyes fixed on him. He felt as though she was were gazing right through him, and in truth, she probably was. “I heard you may come to visit. What is it you want?”

“Nothing you will miss, I assure you. A client of mine wants something for their project.”

“Project? Of what nature?”

“I’m not at liberty to say, I’m afraid, but rest assured that it’s nothing world-ending.”

“That is not much of a consolation,” Bast tilted her head, and the brilliant jewelry she wore twinkled in the shifting light. She sat so regal, so proud, and surrounded by sleek cats. They looked like nothing more than pets, but Domingo knew better. Hell had its hounds. Bast had her cats.

“My goddess, if you know nothing else about me, know that I don’t deal in anything that could bring about the end. I’d lose too much business.”

“Greed before stupidity. What is it you want?”

“A vial of water from your springs.”

At this, Bast went rigid, and her eyes flashed. She stood, easily dwarfing Domingo.

“Why?” Her tone was less kind now. Domingo had to tread carefully with his next words, or Bast could very well decide she didn’t want him to ever leave alive.

“I am bound to secrecy, my goddess.”

“That water is sacred, Collector. I alone give it, I alone know where it flows.”

“A small vial is all I ask.”

“And you expect me to hand it over just like that?”

Domingo smiled up at the goddess, and pulled a parcel out of thin air.

“Not at all. I would never think myself important enough to make such demands of your grace.”

Bast’s eyes flickered down to the parcel, and Domingo saw the curiosity whirl in her eyes.

“Payment?”

“An exchange. One vial from your springs,” Domingo opened the parcel to reveal a mummified cat, covered in necklaces and fine jewels. “For this.”

Bast’s eyes widened, and she let out a hushed gasp.

“Where did you get this?”

“Not everything of yours was destroyed when your pillars fell, my goddess.”

“One vial?”

“Just one small vial, and I will leave you in peace.”

Bast reached out to the cat in Domingo’s hands, and let the very tips of her claws caress it.

“Fine.”

“Thank you, your grace.”


	3. Chapter 3

Bast took the cat from Domingo, holding it like a mother would a child, and turned. Domingo followed quietly, eyes wandering about the rest of Bast’s home. Everything was made to look like a temple, a shrine to her magnificence. Plants that no longer existed lined the windows, old perfumes lingering in the air. And of course, depictions of her power on every wall. Bast walked down the long corridor to a beautiful pool with crystal clear water.

“Show me the vial.”

Domingo fished it out of his pocket, and showed it to Bast. She took a moment then hummed.

“Take any more, I will have your head.”

“How merciful,” Domingo walked over to the spring, careful that only the vial touched the water. He didn’t do too well with holy liquids, after all, and this was no exception. Even though he didn’t fall under her pantheon, sacred was sacred. And sacred burned. Once the vial was full, he took it back, and put it in his pocket.

“Is that all?”

“Yes. Thank you, your grace.”

“This relic is worth more than all the water in that spring to me, Collector. Is your client so desperate for a drink?”

“Maybe they are,” Domingo bowed again. “Have a pleasant evening, your grace.”

Bast didn’t respond, but her eyes never left Domingo. She didn’t follow him back, but a small swarm of cats did. They moved in the shadows, right on Domingo’s heels. He fought to keep his cool, but he’d heard of these beasts and their voracious hunger. And even though gods were bound to their word, their minions weren’t. Domingo heard a threatening hiss behind him just as he grabbed for the door, and he quickly let himself out, shutting it behind him. There, not too bad. Domingo smiled to himself and continued on his merry way when a deafening roar sounded behind him. He bolted, running as quickly as he could. He didn’t dare look back, focused only on getting out of this place before whatever was behind him caught up. Domingo pulled up one his necklaces, a feather dangling on the end.

“Oficina!” He called, and on his next step, he vanished from existence. It was fast and horribly dizzying, but angel feathers really were the best way to travel when trying to escape. Domingo shut his eyes, trying to block out the near blinding light around him when he suddenly appeared in his office.

Ten feet over his desk. He fell with a painful thud and a surprised grunt, but at least he was alive.

“Oh…time for a new feather,” He hissed, pushing himself up carefully.

“Whoa, are you okay?”

Domingo quickly looked up and saw…

“Julian?”

“Did you fall through the ceiling or…?” Julian peeked in, but other than Domingo, everything else looked undisturbed. “Uhh.”

“I teleported, sort of,” Domingo rolled his shoulder, and it popped. “Ow.”

“Where were you?”

“On a job. Gods can be so dramatic. We made a fair deal and she still tried to kill me,” Domingo pouted then took the vial out of his pocket. “But it was worth it.”

“If you say so.”

Domingo set the vial on his desk and looked at Julian.

“So, Evana didn’t scare you off?”

“…if she shows up again, I might quit. She picked me up like I was a pillow or something.”

“That’s probably how you felt to her, honestly. It’s good to have you back though, and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I mean, I appreciate it, but you said this job was tough, and Shaundra warned me too.”

Domingo couldn’t help smiling at Julian.

“You’re tough, I’ll give you that.”

“So umm, anything you need me to do today?”

“If you wouldn’t mind calling my client and letting her know I got what she wanted, that would be great.”

“Where’s the number?”

“No number. You’ll have to use this,” Domingo held out a mirror, and Julian stared at it like this was a joke.

“Uhh…”

It was nice having Julian back. After a little readjusting and going over a few more specifics about the job, things felt like they got easier. Of course, it was still a shock to Julian every time a supernatural client came into the office, and the occasional unexpected guest. As Julian approached his first full month of employment for Domingo, things started to feel more normal.

“Any calls?”

“Yeesh, you’re soaking wet. Did you walk all the way here?” Julian looked at Domingo, who was drenched down to the skin. He didn’t look too happy either. Domingo tugged off his jacket, which was nearly fused to his skin, and let it fall with a wet _shlop_.

“The damned feather I’ve been using decided today of all days not to work. And this would be the one time I don’t have any magical chalk, dust, sand, or even any damn change for a taxi!”

“Why didn’t you just call me? I could have picked you up.”

“I’ll remember that for next time,” Domingo twisted his long, silvery hair, and tried to wring out as much water as he could. “Do I have any spare suits here?”

“Six, if I’m remembering right,” Julian walked over to one of the rooms just down the hall, and looked through the closet.

“What colors are in there?”

“Two lilac, one baby blue, and two red shirts.”

“Red it is,” Domingo headed over as Julian set the fresh outfit out on the bed. “Aww, you know me so well.”

“You’re the only person I’ve met who actually wears jewel encrusted boots. Your style isn’t hard to remember,” Julian looked at what he’d picked and smiled, pretty proud of himself. “Boom!”

“I have to admit, you’re not half bad at this,” Domingo proceeded to peel off his clothes, face scrunched. “I need a shower.”

“Do you even have one here?”

“Of course. You never know what you’ll get on your clothes.”

“That-never mind,” Julian shook his head. “I’ll man the desk while you get changed.”

“Thank you,” Domingo left his soggy clothes in a little pile and grabbed the dry outfit off the bed. “Oh, by the way, if anyone angry comes to the door, don’t answer.”

“How’s the door going to stop them?”

“It’s a portal. If they bust through, they’ll just be standing in an empty apartment,” Domingo shuffled into the bathroom, hands trembling from the cold. Being a demon meant a few things: a better tolerance for hot and cold, pain, and exercise. The obvious things, but for a demon as weak as Domingo, the extra boost didn’t do much. Once he’d showered and dressed himself, Domingo took a little time to neaten up his hair. There. No way in hell was he about to start making appearances looking anything less than perfect! He had a reputation to uphold, and if nothing else, he wanted his clients to remember they were dealing with a professional. As he stepped out, he heard Julian on the phone.

“Yes, there’s an opening next Thursday at two. Yes, of course. Uhu. Alright, Domingo will be expecting you then, thank you.”

“Who was it?”

“Umm, I might say this wrong,” Julian looked at the name he’d written down. “Arhen…Groa?”

“Groya?” Domingo groaned, displeased to hear this. “Did he say what he wanted?”

“He just said it was important he come in and talk to you about something else that I’m not gonna try pronouncing,” Julian handed the note over. “I asked him to spell it out and I think it made him mad.”

“He’s always mad about something. Oh the coffee tastes funny, I had to wait five minutes for you to return, no one will let me eat my brother and claim his throne,” Domingo checked the note, paying no mind to the dumbfounded look on Julian’s face. “Really, the man needs a hobby.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Did you say eat his brother?”

“When is the appointment?”

“Uhh, next Thursday at two. And there was another call, but they didn’t leave a name.”

“Did they say anything?”

“No, but they sounded nice. He just asked if this was your number, if I was the new secretary, and then he said he’d call back.”

Domingo looked at the phone for a moment like he was expecting the mystery caller to suddenly appear out of it. He didn’t like calls with no names to attach. He had a few clients that liked to pretend to be mystical and eerie, though it was really just annoying.

“I’ll have to try and call back. Maybe they,” There was a loud thud upstairs, followed by some muffled shouting. Julian flinched and looked up, getting to his feet.

“What was that?”

“My neighbors,” Domingo frowned. “I told the landlady about whatever it is they do up there and she ignored me. Or she was dead, but either way, this is her business to take care of.”

“Have you ever met them? The neighbors?”

“No. I try not to get attached. Makes it harder when I have to move.”

“Do you move a lot?” Julian sounded a little worried about this, and it was then that Domingo realized he hadn’t explained this aspect to Julian. He never had an employee stay more than a month, and it usually took a good while before a client tried to kill him. He’d never had to let someone go over a move.

“I wouldn’t say…a lot. I mean, I suppose in comparison to the general population, I do.”

“Am I gonna lose this job?”

“Not if you don’t quit first. I have yet to fire anyone, Jules. If I end up moving, then I guess we’ll have to figure something out, won’t we?”

Julian’s shoulders drooped but he nodded.

“Your noon appointment called to confirm she’s on the way.”

“Who is this again?”

“Sheba.”

“Oh. You’ll need protection.”

Julian looked back at Domingo, face red.

“I, what? Wait, Domingo who is she? Domingo?”

“My sister!” Domingo trotted over into his office and went through the drawers in his desk, looking for something. “She’s very nice, really!”

“Why do I need protection?”

As Domingo walked back over, Julian noticed a necklace in his hand.

“Here, put this on. Might as well keep it.”

“What’s it for?”

“Protection. Unlike me, my sister is very, very powerful. She got more from our father than I did.”

“What does that mean?” Julian hastily put the necklace on and checked the door, nerves on edge.

“She’s a succubus, and she’s lured men away with just a glance. And…she likes teasing my secretaries. She lured two away and I never saw them again.”

“What?!”

“That’s why I gave you the necklace!” Domingo quickly added in, and there was a knock at the door. Julian gulped, but stood to open it. He gripped the knob, turned it, and pulled the door open to reveal an oddly tall woman standing there. Her figure was almost nothing but curves, and she had a smile that just spelled trouble.

“Domi!”

“Sheba!” Domingo grinned and walked up to his sister. “It’s been too long! How was Vegas?”

“Boring. You would think a place with the nickname Sin City would be more sinful!” Sheba pouted then looked over at Julian. “And who is this adorable creature?”

“Now Sheba, behave! You already took two!” Domingo pouted up at her and Sheba laughed. Julian watched the pair, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d swear it was getting warmer. He fanned at himself a bit and sat back in his chair.

“What’s his name?”

“Julian. He’s been here five weeks and I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Five? Isn’t this usually when people quit on you?” Sheba smirked down at Domingo, who let out a fake laugh.

“That’s not fair. It’s not like I actually do anything to chase them off.”

“So you say. Regardless, I’m in need of your services.”

“Professionally or…?”

Sheba smiled and smoothed her long, bejeweled nails through Domingo’s hair.

“Not in front of your secretary. We’ll scare him. No, I’m afraid this is a little more serious.”

“Come on into my office,” Domingo looped his arm with Sheba’s, and guided her to the other room. She sat across from the desk, looking much less playful now.

“You’re not in trouble, are you?”

“We both might be. Argos has been looking for us. I heard rumors that he’s back on surface level.”

Domingo stiffened and slowly sat down in his chair.

“You’re sure?”

“He’s eaten the rest of our brothers and sisters. You, Euronomie, Evala, and I are the only ones left alive. I’m not going to listen to whispers if they aren’t true.”

“Have you seen him?”

“No, but I trust the creatures who did. He’s getting close.”

“Is that why you made the trip all the way out to see me?”

Sheba tilted her head to the side and rose from her chair. She crossed around the desk and held Domingo’s face in her hands.

“You and I were always close, Domingo. We may only share crafters, but I enjoy our friendship. I would hate for us to be parted because of him.”

“As would I. I may have something you can put over your home, a little extra protection.”

“And you?”

“You don’t think I’m ever going to run out of tricks, do you?”

“It seemed to be a problem at your last office. If I remember correctly, there wasn’t a building left for me to search.”

Domingo licked his lips and nodded. “A minor setback. I’ve learned from the experience. I have insurance now.”

“Domingo…”

“I’m being careful, Sheba, I promise. I’ve survived this long, haven’t I?”

“That was what Regalian said before Argos devoured him. We’re all that’s left of that brood, Domingo. Of nearly one hundred spawn, we’re it.”

“Seems a little lonely, doesn’t it? Where is Mimi anyway?”

“Deep hiding. As soon as she heard, she vanished. Evala too.”

“Where do you plan on going?” Domingo held Sheba’s hand and kissed her knuckles gently. They’d gone nearly fifty years without seeing their father, and now, the peace had been disturbed yet again. Soon, the only place left to hide would be Heaven. Sheba sat on the edge of the desk, and sighed.

“I have some places. You could come with me.”

“I can’t just fire Julian and go into hiding, Sheba. It’d look bad for my business.”

“Oh your business,” Sheba scoffed, brow scrunched. “This is your life we’re talking about.”

“And I’d prefer not to spend it in hiding if I can avoid it. Sheba, I’ll be fine. You keep yourself safe, and if we both survive, we’ll get coffee afterwards.”

Sheba looked down at her brother and shook her head. He was stubborn, possibly even more so than any of the others had been. At least they had the strength to back it up, but Domingo was right: he hadn’t survived this long on luck alone. She caressed his cheek and gave him a little smile.

“Your usual place?”


	5. Chapter 5

“Your usual place?”

“They do have the best coffee,” Domingo returned the smile, and fished out some protective trinkets for his sister to keep. Moments later, she walked out of the office, gave Domingo a quick kiss, and headed for the door.

“Julian,” She purred. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“And you, ma’am!” Julian blurted, and moved so fast to open the door that he nearly tripped over his own feet. Sheba laughed and stepped out, closing the door behind her. As soon as she was out of the office, Julian blinked. The warm feeling from before was gone, and his head felt clear again.

“…what was that?”

“Her ability. The stronger you are, the harder it is to really shut it off. I’m sure there will be accidents abound outside.”

“Guess the necklace really worked,” Julian looked down at the pendent against his chest and sighed. “Are you going out today?”

“I might be going to make a few cordial visits. Why, do you want to tag along?”

Julian smiled, looking just a little sheepish.

“Am I allowed to?”

“If you really want to. Fair warning: it’s not as fun as you might think.”

“But it’s better than sitting at the desk, right?”

They both grabbed their coats and umbrellas, and then headed outside.

“So, where are we going?”

“I have to get some more feathers. I swear, if I have to start wasting my chalk to get places, I’ll murder something.”

“As long as it’s not me,” Julian shuddered. “Using those things doesn’t hurt you?”

“Only if I’m touching it while it’s in use, but that’s why I keep it in a vial.”

“And it actually works for you?”

Domingo grinned, walking Julian down the sidewalk and around a corner. They’d never get a taxi in this part of town.

“Anything works for anyone if you know how to cheat it. I used Poseidon’s trident once, and I don’t have a drop of godly blood in me.”

Julian whistled impressed. “How was it?”

“Have you ever fired a canon? Because that’s what the recoil is like.”

“What were you shooting at?”

Domingo stopped at the corner and pulled out his phone. He didn’t dial a number, but he brought it up to his ear anyway.

“That you’re way of ignoring the question?”

“I’m calling our ride.”

“Uhu. So, who did you shoot the trident at?”

Domingo waited a moment before speaking into the phone.

“Yes, the usual spot. I have my secretary with me, so be nice. Alright, see you soon.”

“Domingo?”

Domingo put his phone back into his pocket and looked down the street. It was quiet for a moment before a pair of headlights appeared down the street, and a black car zoomed right at them. Julian jumped back a bit, worried the driver might actually pull up onto the sidewalk and hit them. The driver side window rolled down, and a pale man grinned at them, sharp teeth catching the lights overhead.

“Taxi for two?”

“Yes please,” Domingo smiled and opened the door for Julian to climb in, though he hesitated a moment before actually doing so. Julian slid in first, and as soon as Domingo closed the door, they lurched forward and sped off down the street.

“Are you really not going to tell me?” Julian looked at Domingo and latched onto his arm as they took a particularly sharp turn.

“I shot it at my father.”

“What?” Julian yelped as they hit another turn and nearly rammed into two different cars. “Jesus!”

“He’s not here!” The man driving them laughed and veered down another street. “Where are we headed to?”

“St. Thomas’s Church, if you could.”

“Little early in the day for a booty call, isn’t it?” The driver looked at Domingo through the rearview mirror. Julian retched as they took another turn and went over a speedbump. He was going to get sick all over the backseat, he just knew it.

“It’s never too early for a booty call,” Domingo defended in a haughty tone, not the least bit bothered by this man’s driving. They careened down street after street and by the time they finally stopped, Julian was clutching Domingo for dear life.

“Thank you,” Domingo handed the driver a slip of paper, and the man gave a positively blood thirsty smile.

“Any time, Domi.”

“Stick close, we won’t be in there long, Mordos,” Domingo climbed out of the car with Julian, and they watched as it sped off again down the street.

“Mordos?”

“He’s a friend. It’s too much hassle to keep my own car, so I just ask him for a ride when I need it.”

“Uhu,” Julian looked up at the church. It was dark and imposing, like any other church in the city. There were statues of angels and saints all around, and stained glass windows in excess.

“This is where you’re getting the feather?”

“Yes. Angels don’t usually hang around churches, but they tend to come faster if you’re near one.”

“Seriously?”

“Very. Unless it’s a guardian, angels don’t hang around on earth too often, though it’s for the best. Aside from being pretentious, seeing one is usually a bad sign.”

“Why?” Julian followed Domingo up to the doors of the church, hands tucked into his pockets.

“They only get sent somewhere if there’s trouble,” Domingo let himself and Julian inside, though he kept close to the walls. They walked past the pews and to another door near the back that led out into a garden. In the center of it stood a large, beautiful statue of an angel. It looked generic, just like any other statue, but this one carried a sword in one hand, and a shield in the other. Its wings were flared, and its face was locked in a somber expression.

“Jules, I need you to pray.”

“Me? Why don’t you do it?”

“It hurts my throat, and you being human, I figured it would be easier.”

“I don’t…I mean, I haven’t prayed in a long time.”

“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Pray to the angel Michael, and ask him for guidance.”


	6. Chapter 6

Julian eyed Domingo skeptically but clasped his hands together. He closed his eyes, and bowed his head just like his father had taught him when he was a child.

“Dear angel Michael, umm, I need…your guidance?” Julian waited a moment and peeked around, feeling like this might be a joke.

“Not the best prayer I’ve heard, but it will do.”

Julian quickly turned and saw a strict looking man standing there behind him. He wore a white button down and black slacks, and there was a glow under his skin. Julian shivered. Whatever he was expecting angels to look like, he was obviously far off. Though Michael looked human enough on first glance, Julian noticed his skin color was off, and he had odd markings etched into it.

“Domingo,” Michael’s eyes focused on the demon, who returned the pretentious look. “What happened to your last secretary?”

“Whichever one you’re referring to, they quit. I need…”

“Feathers,” Michael cut him off and folded his arms over his chest. “For what?”

“I only use them to travel, Mikey.”

“Do not call me that.”

“I just need a couple. Come on, you’ve let me have plenty before!”

“If I remember correctly, your last batch of feathers was from one of my brothers,” Michael scowled at Domingo. Julian could feel the awkward tension in the air, but he knew better than to ask. Instead, he cleared his throat, and quickly caught the angel’s attention.

“Look, we really need them. It would help a lot with…”

“Don’t speak for him, Julian. You are in enough trouble as it is.”

Julian felt the pit in his stomach twist, and he lowered his head. That wouldn’t do at all. Domingo frowned at the angel, and looped his arm with Julian’s.

“You’re not here to judge. I believe you owe me a favor, several in fact.”

“You’re going to force my hand?”

“A deal is a deal, and if you weren’t ready to commit, you really shouldn’t have come to me.”

Michael’s wings suddenly appeared, and they flared out behind him. Julian flinched back, but Domingo remained unmoved.

“Watch your tone, Snake.”

“I will if you do, Feather Boy.”

Michael stepped up to Domingo, staring him down for a moment. Julian genuinely expected them to fight-or worse-but was relieved when Michael folded his wings back. He held out his hand, and in his palm sat five feathers.

“Try not to waste them.”

“I don’t waste gifts,” Domingo took the feathers and carefully put them into his pocket before heading back inside with Julian. As they left, Julian glanced back, but Michael was gone. The statue that they had prayed to looked angry now, and Julian swore it was watching them go.

“The fuck?”

“Jules, don’t swear in the church,” Domingo ushered Julian back outside, and neither of them relaxed until Mordos’s car pulled back up.

“What was his problem? How did he know my name?”

“Angels know a lot of things. They’re all linked to God, and anything He knows, they know. I mean, almost anything. It’s annoying, but it’s easy to get around.”

Julian pursed his lips, and Domingo felt a slight tremor under his skin.

“Hey, it’s alright.”

“No, he was being a dick.”

“They’re all like that, Jules, they have no choice. Daddy Dearest decided that one race of insubordinate children was enough. After He made humanity, He stripped angels of all free will. They’re easier to control that way.”

“Kid’s never met an angel before?” Mordos looked back at Julian, who was still sore about the ordeal.

“Not one like that.”

“They’re all assholes,” Mordos scoffed. “But they do taste delicious in soup.”

Julian was about to ask, but the car revved up and they bolted down the street. Julian gripped onto Domingo and didn’t let go until they’d arrived back at the apartment. He nearly dove out of the car and took a few deep breaths so he wouldn’t hurl all over the sidewalk.

“Mordos isn’t the best driver.”

“You think?”

Domingo chuckled and walked back inside with Julian. “But we got what we needed, so that’s one thing to check off the list.”

“Oh good, one thing,” Julian put up his coat and let himself plop onto his chair. “Are all angels really like that?”

“Well, most of them. Some are a little nicer. Some are actually worse,” Domingo went into his office, and put one of the feathers into the vial he carried with him while the other four went into a sealed box. Honestly, he’d expected more of a fight from Michael. After Domingo’s little run-in with the holy choir, he was surprised he hadn’t been struck down where he stood. Ah but then, it helped to have a human alongside him. Julian got everything else set for the night, and headed home around four that afternoon. Domingo glanced over at the notes and calls that needed to be returned, and remembered the mystery caller from earlier. He picked up the phone, and checked the history. The phone rang and rang, but no one answered. After three attempts, Domingo gave up. He hated when his clients did this. It was probably Hades, or some other underworld creature. He couldn’t really fault them though, they did have reputations to uphold. Not long after, Domingo locked up the office, and headed home as well. As he walked out, he heard shouting from upstairs, and he frowned. It wasn’t like a demon to care much about what happened to humans. Their business was theirs, and if there was one thing Domingo knew, it was that humans like to fuck it up. If any other creature tried, they would band together in a glorious display of comradery, but when it came to each other, humans were the worst.  Domingo locked up the office, and let the thudding and screaming continue upstairs. It wasn’t so bad until he heard a baby crying as well. He had such a weak spot for humans, it was his biggest flaw. Aside from the multitude of flaws that came with being a demon, but this one was different. Domingo listened to the noises from upstairs, eyes narrowed. Everything seemed to settle down, and when it got quiet again, he left.

In the following week, things seemed mundane. Answer calls, speak with clients, and try to ignore the intense fighting going on upstairs. Julian was having a harder time of it than Domingo was, frowning every time the shouting started.

“Should we call the police?”

“Jules, that’s sweet but they won’t come to this side of town. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

“You’re a demon, can’t you do something?”

“Rude. If anything you should be wondering why that woman’s guardian angel isn’t stepping in to do anything.”

“Well tell me how to talk to those and I’ll figure it out,” Julian grumbled. “That guy should be coming in today. Gro-whatever.”

“Groya. Just wave him in when he gets here. Oh, and have the coffee going. He uses those small purple cups with the gold trim.”

“Right,” Julian scribbled a note down but stopped when he heard a particularly loud thud. “Alright, that’s enough.”

“Julian, bad idea.”

“Coming from the guy who called Zeus a hussy and conned him out of a lightning bolt,” Julian gave Domingo a sharp look and stepped out of the apartment. Domingo huffed but followed Julian anyway. He’d be damned if he lost a secretary in a fist fight like this. As soon as they stepped out into the hall, they heard the screams.

“Shit,” Julian darted up the stairs and scooped up a little girl who sat there. Her arm was bruised, and she was screeching so loud, it was a wonder no one else was coming to check.

“Hey, hey it’s okay. It’s okay,” Julian rubbed the girl’s back and looked down the hall to the apartment with the door hanging off the hinges. He could hear a woman crying frantically in there and a man shouting down over her.

“Domingo,” Julian gave him a pleading look. It was the most intense puppy dog eyes Domingo had ever been given, and if he wasn’t a sucker for that. Domingo finally groaned and walked over to the apartment.

“Excuse me,” Domingo peeked in and saw a man standing over his girlfriend. She was curled up, sobbing when the man suddenly turned his attention to Domingo.


	7. Chapter 7

“This ain’t any of your business, Pal,” The man growled, but Domingo stood tall.

“You’ll have to speak up. I can’t hear you over all that false bravado.”

The man snarled and stomped right up to Domingo. He grabbed Domingo by the front of his shirt, and Domingo smiled.

“Back off.”

“This is cute, but a watered down half demon like you should really be careful,” Domingo kicked the man back, sending him through the wall and into the bathroom. The woman gasped and looked over at Domingo.

“Come on, you’re coming with me.”

“No, no he’ll hurt her!”

“Hurt who?”

“My daughter! Lily!”

“She’s outside with my friend now come on,” Domingo held out his hand and grunted when the man came back and broke a chair over his head. Domingo stood tall and turned to glare at the man.

“Well, if rough was what you wanted, you could have asked,” Domingo grabbed the man’s arm and pressed his free hand to his chest. There was a spark of hot pink light between them, and the man screamed before suddenly vanishing.

“Oh God…what did you do?”

“Sent him to the next state,” Domingo waved the smoke off his hands. “I should have sent him to Hell, but that takes a little more energy than I’m willing to waste.”

“…you’re a demon too?” The woman looked up at him tentatively. The poor thing was shaking, covered head to toe in bruises and scratches and scars. Suddenly, Domingo felt like a dick for having ignored all the fighting before.

“Domingo. I’m your downstairs neighbor. And you?”

The woman wiped some blood from her nose and sniffled. “Angel.”

“Fitting. Well Miss Angel, come with me. We’ll get you cleaned up.”

Angel hesitated but got up onto her feet. Domingo let her lean against him as they made their way out of the apartment. As soon as Lily saw her mother, she began crying again.

“It’s okay baby, it’s okay,” Angel followed suit, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held Lily close. They went downstairs with Domingo, who made sure to lock the door behind them as they stepped into the apartment.

“Julian, get the first aid kit for me. The one marked “HUMAN”, alright?”

“Got it,” Julian quickly jogged off to grab it. He brought a blanket back as well, and Angel looked up at him.

“Thanks.”

“This is gonna sting a little…a lot,” Domingo gave her an apologetic smile and started cleaning up the scratches. Julian took Lily, trying to calm her down again.

“Hey sweetie,” He smiled. “You wanna play a game? Hey, look at this,” Julian pulled up a game on his phone, and Lily started to calm down.

“Careful,” Angel winced. “She’s still in her biting stage.”

“Then it’s a good thing I have a case, huh?” Julian tickled Lily’s side and she giggled.

“Ow,” Angel whimpered and Domingo pulled his hand back.

“Sorry. Alright, that cut might need some stitches.”

“No hospital,” Angel quickly looked at Domingo. “I don’t have insurance.”

“Lucky for you, I can do it here,” Domingo kept cleaning each cut before pulling out the thread and needle. “Now, this is _really_ going to hurt.”

Angel sat steadfast and pursed her lips.

“I’ve had stitches before.”

“That guy, is he your boyfriend?”

“…something like that. He’s Lily’s father. I couldn’t afford to take care of her on my own, so he moved in.”

Julian nodded slowly, and Angel noticed the look.

“I know what you’re gonna say, but I don’t have a lot of options.”

“You don’t have anyone else who can help you?”

“You think I haven’t tried? Marcus doesn’t like when I talk to people. He doesn’t let me leave the apartment, doesn’t even let me talk to anyone on the phone. I haven’t spoken to my own brother since Lily was born.”

“Ooh!” Lil suddenly shoved the phone up at Julian. She’d died again.

“Aww, you did great,” Julian restarted the game for Lily and she quickly tucked back down, focused on the screen. Domingo glanced over at Julian, and could already tell where this was going to go. He grumbled quietly. Getting involved in issues like this wasn’t on-par with his usual behavior. Demons had a way to them, even the weakest, and straying too far from that could leave him open to anything.

“First stitch,” He warned and Angel shut her eyes.

“Ow…!”

“I’ll try to be quick, okay? It’s a pretty small cut.”

“I’m okay,” Angel clenched her hands, and Lily soon noticed. She whimpered and walked over to her mother, patting her hand.

“Owie?”

“Yeah baby girl, owie. But mama’s okay,” Angel mustered up a smile. “Mama’s okay.”

Lily pouted up at Angel and rested her head on her lap. Once Domingo was done, he put some ointment around the cut to help with the pain.

“There’s a guest room down this hall. You can wash up and get some rest there.”

“Thanks,” Angel nodded and walked Lily down into the room. After a moment, Julian moved to speak.

“I think…”

“Don’t, I already know what you’re going to say, and no.”

“But…!”

“We can’t get personally involved with every single person we come across, Jules. Do you have any idea how many people I’ll have living here if we do?”

“She needs help, Domi!”

“Don’t think that just because you use my nickname that it’ll change my mind. We can take her to a crisis shelter, and that’s it.”

Julian’s eyes got watery, and he chewed at his lower lip.

“No,” Domingo warned.

“Please,” Julian’s voice trembled as he spoke, and Domingo felt it tug right at the black hole in his chest. He pursed his lips and stood tall.

“No!”

Seconds later, Domingo knocked on the guest room door.

“Yes?”

“Miss Angel, I have a job opening if you’re interested.”

Angel opened the door and looked at Domingo stunned.

“Seriously? What kind of job?”

Julian watched from the end of the hall, smiling to himself. He knew his ability to cry on demand would come in handy one day. And his cousins had all laughed at him for being over-emotional! Julian let the both of them talk it out, and when Groya arrived, Julian handled the welcome.

“You are new,” Groya looked Julian over, eyes judging every inch of him.

“Yes Sir. Please have a seat and Domingo will be with you in a moment. Can I get you anythi…”

“Coffee,” Groya sat down, hands poised on the diamond studded cane he brought with him. Julian put on his fakest smile and went to get it. It was just like being at that perfume counter again, except this time, he couldn’t pretend he needed to go talk to another customer. Julian brought back the coffee, and was more than happy when Domingo finally came back around to talk to the guy. Aside from the strong smell of incense, he looked unbelievably pompous. Groya followed Domingo into his office, and Julian took the chance to go check on Angel.


	8. Chapter 8

“Hey,” Julian poked his head into the room where Angel and Lily would be staying.

“Hey,” Angel nodded. “Thanks again.”

“You don’t need to thank me, ma’am.”

“Ma’am. How old do I look to you?”

“Oh, no! No, no I mean just cause, you know, respectful stuff.”

Angel chuckled. “You’re sweet. Your name is Julian?”

“Yes ma’am. Miss.”

“Angel is fine. Lily, can you say thank you to Mr. Julian?”

“Tank!”

Julian smiled down at Lily. “You’re welcome, Sweetie.”

“Umm, do you think you could watch her for a minute? I have to grab some things from the apartment.”

“Why don’t I go with you, just in case? I can hold her while you get your things,” Julian offered. He wasn’t going to let Angel go back up there alone. If that Marcus guy showed up again, at the very least, Julian could try to help. Granted, he didn’t know how much of a fight he could really put up, but he could sure as hell try. Angel thanked him again, and they went back up to the apartment. It was an absolute mess. There was broken furniture, burn holes in the carpet, and cardboard over broken windows.

“I just need to grab her diaper bag,” Angel headed into one of the bedrooms and started hurriedly grabbing what she could.

“He’s not human, is he?” Julian looked around at the deep claw marks in the walls. Angel walked back over, leaving her things in a pile by the door.

“Half demon.”

“A real catch, huh?”

Angel shook her head, shoulders hunched. “He was sweet before. I told him I was pregnant, and he was actually happy. Then,” She gestured around the apartment. “But I guess that’s what comes with the territory. Like guys aren’t bad enough when they’re human.”

Julian pressed his lips together, rocking Lily slowly in his arms as she began to fuss.

“New start, new life though, right?”

“Yeah,” Angel began to tear up and she sighed, wiping her eyes. “Is he a good boss, Domingo?”

“Oh yeah, great guy. Little weird but you know, not the worst.”

Angel smiled and Julian helped her carry everything downstairs. Granted, it was only a floor down, but it was a better start than Angel had expected. She couldn’t remember the last time Marcus had actually let her go outside. As they came back into Domingo’s place, they heard weird noises coming from his office, and then, Groya stepped out. He looked…happy? It was hard to tell really, the man looked almost like a pig trying to pass off as a human.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Groya!” Domingo grinned, and walked Groya to the door.

“Yes, yes, and pleasure doing business with you!” Groya patted Domingo’s hand, didn’t give Julian a second glance, and left.

“D’you get paid?” Julian looked over at Domingo, who was damn near hovering up off the floor.

“Oh yes,” Domingo chuckled and rubbed his hands together. It seemed he’d forgotten about Angel until he saw her standing there.

“Oh. Right.”

“Hi.”

“Did you get all of your things?”

Angel nodded, and took Lily back from Julian when she yawned. “You getting sleepy, Baby?”

Lily just yawned again and tucked herself into a little ball against her mother’s chest.

“Adorable,” Domingo made a face. “Well, you can stay in that guest room down the hall there. You can fill out all the paper work tonight.”

“Thank you again, really. I owe you for this.”

“Really, Jules owes me for this. Go on and get settled in, you start work tomorrow.”

Angel nodded, smiling at Domingo before she took Lily to the room for a nap.

“Softie,” Julian teased.

“Oh shut up,” Domingo scoffed and went back into his office to catalog his payment. As annoying as Groya could be, he was an incredible client to have. And Domingo had worked hard to stay on the man’s good side. He picked up the beautiful vase Groya had left, and walked into his wardrobe to catalog and store it.

“I think I know someone who would love to have you on their shelf,” Domingo set the vase up and smiled to himself. It wasn’t easy to keep a collection this size, but he’d learned a few tricks over the years. So many artifacts in his storage were thought to be long lost, some entirely undiscovered by humanity. And though not all of the items were priceless, so to speak, they made for excellent bargaining chips in a pinch. Domingo stepped back out of the wardrobe and closed it up again, enjoying the happiness of that moment when he noticed he had a call holding on his phone. He picked it up, rather giddy about his payment.

“This is Domingo speaking.”

“It’s incredible how you manage to sound so annoying, even over the phone.”

Domingo’s smile fell and his stomach dropped right to the floor. That voice…

“I just wanted to let you know that I’d be swinging by soon. Your new secretary is the most precious—“

Domingo slammed the phone down, heart racing.

“Julian!” He rushed out of his office, and the panicked look on his face certainly caught Julian’s attention.

“What is it, what’s wrong?”

“Did someone call, just now?”

“Yeah, I transferred the call to your office. Why?”

“If that person ever calls back, you hang up. You don’t speak to them, you don’t say anything!”

Julian went quiet for a moment, looking guilty as all hell.

“Was that your father?”

Domingo nodded, pacing around.

“How the hell did he get this number?”

“I’m sorry.”

“He’s talking to someone. Someone must have given him my damn business card.”

“I didn’t know.”

“We might have to move. No, not might, we _will_ have to move!”

“I’m really sorry.”

Domingo paused and looked at Julian. He let out a heavy breath and rubbed a hand over his face.

“It’s not your fault, Jules. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“He asked for your address, said he didn’t know how to find the office.”


	9. Chapter 9

A minor setback, but Domingo didn’t get this far in life being an idiot. He put his hands on his hips, mind working.

“Good.”

“Doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

“No, we can use this. He’ll come looking for this place, which means I’ll know exactly where he’s going to be.”

“Domingo.”

“Hmm?”

“What’s the deal with your father?”

Domingo ran his tongue over his teeth and went over to sit on the edge of Julian’s desk.

“He’s not exactly a father in the sense you might be thinking. It works different for non-human creatures. He and Lilith didn’t get drunk, fuck and then have me nine months later. They performed a ritual to create a brood of demons, spawn.”

“Why?”

“Creating spawn is easier than having children, at least for demons. You have no emotional connection to them, but they’re bound to you. You can manipulate them, force to do your will, or-in my father’s case-devour them all and make yourself stronger.”

Julian’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”                                 

“It happens all the time in Hell. There are powerful demons down there right now who are only strong because they devoured all their spawn. But since I don’t exactly enjoy the idea of being eaten, I run.”

“Hence the whole shooting Dad with a trident thing.”

“Exactly. We’ll have to get everything ready to move. Start packing, and we’ll make calls and send emails to my clients.”

“I’m really sorry.”

Domingo shook his head and patted Julian’s shoulder. “I’ve never had to tell a secretary about him before. They always quit before, well, really they quit before their second week. As glad as I am that you’ve stuck around, I really owe you an apology for it.”

“I’m the one who said he wanted fun, remember?”

“The mess with Argos goes a little beyond fun and more into the realm of vore and anguish, but I do see your point.”

Julian, Angel, and Domingo stayed up late that night getting everything ready. Items were packed, papers were stored into boxes, and anything non-essential would be left behind. Luckily, Domingo was used to moving. Most of the larger furniture had a small mark somewhere on it, and all it took was a spell to move it to a new location.

“Where are we going?” Angel wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked around at the piles of boxes they had so far.

“I have a few places lined up. Hope you two don’t mind driving a little ways.”

“I don’t care as long as Mordos isn’t behind the wheel,” Julian looked at Domingo, finger pointed at him.

“Jules, that’s so mean! Mordos liked you!”

“The feeling isn’t mutual.”

“I can drive,” Angel offered. “I drove semi’s before Lily was born.”

“Ma!” Lily pulled on Angel’s sweats and held up the now empty tape dispenser.

“Aww, thank you Baby,” Angel took it and set it on top of the boxes. “Ready to go to a new home?”

Lily made an excited little noise and smiled at her mother before running off and hiding behind a stack of boxes.

It wasn’t until early the next morning that the moving van arrived. Angel was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, but as soon as the winter air hit her face, she was awake.

“How is it not snowing yet?” She shivered.

“It’s supposed to this afternoon,” Julian rubbed at his arms, teeth chattering. Together, they got everything loaded into the van and climbed in. Lily was asleep in the seat, and Domingo walked out to them.

“Alright, you have the address?”

“Yeah. You’ll meet us there?”

“With all the furniture. Mordos will be at the new place to help get everything inside.”

Julian groaned but didn’t argue. Angel nodded and they were soon headed off down the street.

“Feels good to drive again,” Angel sighed content, and smiled.

“I bet it does,” Julian chuckled. “I always hated driving big stuff like this.”

“It’s not for everybody, but I like it. Makes me feel powerful,” Angel sat a little taller. “My mama used to drive trucks. She had a little moving business when I was growing up. I used to go with her on all the big jobs.”

“Must have been nice. My mom’s a lawyer so…less fun when she took me to work.”

Angel laughed and stopped as their light turned red. “Doesn’t sound like fun.”

“It wasn’t. And I’m pretty sure I had some kind of allergy to all the paper they had, which made it worse.”

“Poor thing. So, why come work for Domingo?”

“My friend used to complain about him all the time. She was all excited when she started the job, and then,” Julian paused a moment as the light turned green, and they continued down the road. “And then she said a couple of witches stopped into the office.”

“Real witches?”

“Oh yeah. They made all the food go bad and tried to jinx her. Her hair was white for weeks after that.”

Angel shuddered. “And you applied?”

“I like excitement. Spent my whole life with the option of being a dentist like my dad or a lawyer like my mom. Everything was just…boring. So when I heard there was an opening, I applied.”

“Exciting enough yet?”

“Well I almost got killed by some crazy dragon lady after my first week, so yeah.”

Angel let out a snorting laugh and nodded. “Fair enough.”

“You won’t regret it though. Domingo’s a great guy.”

“You are too,” Angel glanced at Julian. “You guys saved my Lily. Doesn’t get much better than that.”

Julian gave Angel a bashful smile and rested back in his seat.


	10. Chapter 10

“Poor thing. So, why come work for Domingo?”

“My friend used to complain about him all the time. She was all excited when she started the job, and then,” Julian paused a moment as the light turned green, and they continued down the road. “And then she said a couple of witches stopped into the office.”

“Real witches?”

“Oh yeah. They made all the food go bad and tried to jinx her. Her hair was white for weeks after that.”

Angel shuddered. “And you applied?”

“I like excitement. Spent my whole life with the option of being a dentist like my dad or a lawyer like my mom. Everything was just…boring. So when I heard there was an opening, I applied.”

“Exciting enough yet?”

“Well I almost got killed by some crazy dragon lady after my first week, so yeah.”

Angel let out a snorting laugh and nodded. “Fair enough.”

“You won’t regret it though. Domingo’s a great guy.”

“You are too,” Angel glanced at Julian. “You guys saved my Lily. Doesn’t get much better than that.”

Julian gave Angel a bashful smile and rested back in his seat.

Domingo hadn’t been kidding when he said it was going to be a longer drive. They finally arrived at the new building nearly an hour later, and Mordos was standing outside waiting for them.

“Good!” He grinned. “I thought you got lost on the way.”

“You’re Mordos?” Angel hopped out of the van, and Mordos bowed his head.

“At your service. Sort of.”

“Are you…okay?” Angel looked Mordos over. Julian hadn’t noticed just how pale and sickly Mordos looked the first time they met, mostly because he had his eyes shut the entire drive. Mordos just stood tall, clearly proud of his less than inviting appearance.

“Don’t worry, all boogeymen look like death. Helps with the job.”

“Oh.”

“Now, let’s get unpacked, hmm?” Mordos opened up the van and started helping to bring everything inside. It took a little while, but they eventually moved all the boxes into the new space.

“Not bad,” Julian looked around, already planning where everything could go. It was certainly more spacious than the last location. The ceilings were nice and high, not to mention all the light filtering in through the windows.

“How long do you think it’ll take Domingo to get here?” Angel had Lily in her arms, though the girl was starting to wake up again.

“He doesn’t take long,” Mordos hummed. “Unless he’s planning something intricate, then he takes forever.”

“He’s probably setting something up for his dad.”

Mordos’s expression soured and he nodded.

“Argos caught up to him again, huh?”

A feeling of shame crept up into his chest again, and Julian lowered his head.

“I…accidentally gave him the address.”

“Could have been worse. You could have handed Domingo over.”

“I wouldn’t!” Julian quickly defended, but Mordos shrugged him off.

“Not on purpose, but Argos isn’t stupid. It’s one of the few things he and Domingo have in common is how crafty they are.”

“This Argos guy sounds like a piece of work,” Angel looked down at Lily and kissed her temple. “You awake now, Baby?”

Lily shook her head and pressed her face into Angel’s shoulder.

“What a cute little jelly bean,” Mordos cooed and Angel frowned.

“Don’t scare her.”

“I won’t do anything on purpose, but I don’t exactly have the face of a nurturing mother,” Mordos stepped back and pulled out his phone. Just like Domingo, he didn’t dial in any numbers, but put the phone right to his ear. After a moment, there was a click.

“You still setting up?”

“I’m almost done,” Domingo wrote one last symbol on the floor and looked around at his handiwork. The marks lingered on the hardwood before sinking in and disappearing. “Is everything in the new office?”

“Just needs to be unboxed.”

“Good. I’m moving the furniture then. You know the drill.”

“Got it,” Mordos hung up the phone and looked at Julian and Angel. “Alright kiddos, we have to wait outside.”

They looked at each other then followed Mordos outside and another blast of cold air greeted them.

“Is this gonna take long?” Angel covered Lily’s head with her hand, trying to shield her from the cold as best she could.

“It shouldn’t,” Mordos watched the windows, and there was a flash of wispy black smoke seconds later. “Alright, done!”

Angel went back in first with Julian hot on her heels. As she stepped in, she noticed all the furniture was in place, and Domingo stood in the middle of the living room, looking rather pleased with himself.

“Wow. Not bad.”

“Much more efficient than hauling everything around in a truck,” Domingo dusted off his shoulders and straightened out his shirt. “Why don’t you two get some sleep, I can unpack.”

“You sure?” Julian’s question tapered off into a yawn.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Julian and Angel both went into the rooms down the hall, and Domingo waited until it was quiet again before looking at Mordos.

“Don’t go back to the old place.”

“I figured as much. What did you leave the bastard?”

“A nice little gift. As soon as he tries to get in, he’ll be sent back to Hell in the most painful way I could manage.”

“Nice,” Mordos sneered. “You know, might not be a bad time to pull more strings with his boyfriend.”

“Vichama? No, not yet. My back isn’t against the wall until I’ve run out of options.”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

Domingo pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to Mordos. It was a piece of Marcus’s shirt with a few speckles of blood on it.

“If you find him, he’s all yours.”

“The ex?” A dark, rumbling laugh echoed in Mordos’s chest, and he tucked the fabric into his pocket. “How generous.”

“He deserves it.”

“You’re getting soft, Domi,” Mordos shook his head. “Won’t be long before Argos realizes just how squishy that center of yours is.”

“I’m being careful.”

Mordos’s eyes trailed down the hall to the rooms where Julian and Angel slept.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

When Julian finally woke up, it was dark out, and he could hear a steady rain beating on the window. He stretched out on the bed, body tight from having slept in a ball to conserve warmth, though it didn’t feel too cold now. Maybe Domingo already had the heater going.

“Domingo?” Julian got up from the bed and peeked out into the living room. Domingo was talking on the phone with someone, so Julian lowered his voice.

“It’s just a precaution,” Domingo sighed. “No, I don’t need you to step in yet but I thought you’d want to know. Yes. Alright, I’ll keep you updated. And Vichi, thank you. I know this isn’t easy for you,” Domingo set the phone back on the receiver and looked over at Julian. “Ah, finally awake?”

“That was somehow the best and worst nap I’ve ever had,” Julian took off his coat and set it on the hooks by the door. “Angel still asleep?”

“Seems like it.”

“Listen, about your father…”

“Don’t start blaming yourself. He would have found me no matter what.”

Julian went and leaned against his desk, and Domingo sat next to him.

“Still.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Poor thing. So, why come work for Domingo?”

“My friend used to complain about him all the time. She was all excited when she started the job, and then,” Julian paused a moment as the light turned green, and they continued down the road. “And then she said a couple of witches stopped into the office.”

“Real witches?”

“Oh yeah. They made all the food go bad and tried to jinx her. Her hair was white for weeks after that.”

Angel shuddered. “And you applied?”

“I like excitement. Spent my whole life with the option of being a dentist like my dad or a lawyer like my mom. Everything was just…boring. So when I heard there was an opening, I applied.”

“Exciting enough yet?”

“Well I almost got killed by some crazy dragon lady after my first week, so yeah.” 

Angel let out a snorting laugh and nodded. “Fair enough.”

“You won’t regret it though. Domingo’s a great guy.”

“You are too,” Angel glanced at Julian. “You guys saved my Lily. Doesn’t get much better than that.”

Julian gave Angel a bashful smile and rested back in his seat.

Domingo hadn’t been kidding when he said it was going to be a longer drive. They finally arrived at the new building nearly an hour later, and Mordos was standing outside waiting for them.

“Good!” He grinned. “I thought you got lost on the way.”

“You’re Mordos?” Angel hopped out of the van, and Mordos bowed his head.

“At your service. Sort of.”

“Are you…okay?” Angel looked Mordos over. Julian hadn’t noticed just how pale and sickly Mordos looked the first time they met, mostly because he had his eyes shut the entire drive. Mordos just stood tall, clearly proud of his less than inviting appearance.

“Don’t worry, all boogeymen look like death. Helps with the job.”

“Oh.”

“Now, let’s get unpacked, hmm?” Mordos opened up the van and started helping to bring everything inside. It took a little while, but they eventually moved all the boxes into the new space.

“Not bad,” Julian looked around, already planning where everything could go. It was certainly more spacious than the last location. The ceilings were nice and high, not to mention all the light filtering in through the windows.

“How long do you think it’ll take Domingo to get here?” Angel had Lily in her arms, though the girl was starting to wake up again.

“He doesn’t take long,” Mordos hummed. “Unless he’s planning something intricate, then he takes forever.”

“He’s probably setting something up for his dad.”

Mordos’s expression soured and he nodded.

“Argos caught up to him again, huh?”

A feeling of shame crept up into his chest again, and Julian lowered his head.

“I…accidentally gave him the address.”

“Could have been worse. You could have handed Domingo over.”

“I wouldn’t!” Julian quickly defended, but Mordos shrugged him off.

“Not on purpose, but Argos isn’t stupid. It’s one of the few things he and Domingo have in common is how crafty they are.”

“This Argos guy sounds like a piece of work,” Angel looked down at Lily and kissed her temple. “You awake now, Baby?”

Lily shook her head and pressed her face into Angel’s shoulder.

“What a cute little jelly bean,” Mordos cooed and Angel frowned.

“Don’t scare her.”

“I won’t do anything on purpose, but I don’t exactly have the face of a nurturing mother,” Mordos stepped back and pulled out his phone. Just like Domingo, he didn’t dial in any numbers, but put the phone right to his ear. After a moment, there was a click.

“You still setting up?”

“I’m almost done,” Domingo wrote one last symbol on the floor and looked around at his handiwork. The marks lingered on the hardwood before sinking in and disappearing. “Is everything in the new office?”

“Just needs to be unboxed.”

“Good. I’m moving the furniture then. You know the drill.”

“Got it,” Mordos hung up the phone and looked at Julian and Angel. “Alright kiddos, we have to wait outside.”

They looked at each other then followed Mordos outside and another blast of cold air greeted them.

“Is this gonna take long?” Angel covered Lily’s head with her hand, trying to shield her from the cold as best she could.

“It shouldn’t,” Mordos watched the windows, and there was a flash of wispy black smoke seconds later. “Alright, done!”

Angel went back in first with Julian hot on her heels. As she stepped in, she noticed all the furniture was in place, and Domingo stood in the middle of the living room, looking rather pleased with himself.

“Wow. Not bad.”

“Much more efficient than hauling everything around in a truck,” Domingo dusted off his shoulders and straightened out his shirt. “Why don’t you two get some sleep, I can unpack.”

“You sure?” Julian’s question tapered off into a yawn.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Julian and Angel both went into the rooms down the hall, and Domingo waited until it was quiet again before looking at Mordos.

“Don’t go back to the old place.”

“I figured as much. What did you leave the bastard?”

“A nice little gift. As soon as he tries to get in, he’ll be sent back to Hell in the most painful way I could manage.”

“Nice,” Mordos sneered. “You know, might not be a bad time to pull more strings with his boyfriend.”

“Vichama? No, not yet. My back isn’t against the wall until I’ve run out of options.”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

Domingo pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to Mordos. It was a piece of Marcus’s shirt with a few speckles of blood on it.

“If you find him, he’s all yours.”

“The ex?” A dark, rumbling laugh echoed in Mordos’s chest, and he tucked the fabric into his pocket. “How generous.”

“He deserves it.”

“You’re getting soft, Domi,” Mordos shook his head. “Won’t be long before Argos realizes just how squishy that center of yours is.”

“I’m being careful.”

Mordos’s eyes trailed down the hall to the rooms where Julian and Angel slept.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

When Julian finally woke up, it was dark out, and he could hear a steady rain beating on the window. He stretched out on the bed, body tight from having slept in a ball to conserve warmth, though it didn’t feel too cold now. Maybe Domingo already had the heater going.

“Domingo?” Julian got up from the bed and peeked out into the living room. Domingo was talking on the phone with someone, so Julian lowered his voice.

“It’s just a precaution,” Domingo sighed. “No, I don’t need you to step in yet but I thought you’d want to know. Yes. Alright, I’ll keep you updated. And Vichi, thank you. I know this isn’t easy for you,” Domingo set the phone back on the receiver and looked over at Julian. “Ah, finally awake?”

“That was somehow the best and worst nap I’ve ever had,” Julian took off his coat and set it on the hooks by the door. “Angel still asleep?”

“Seems like it.”

“Listen, about your father…”

“Don’t start blaming yourself. He would have found me no matter what.”

Julian went and leaned against his desk, and Domingo sat next to him.

“Still.”


	12. Chapter 12

“Should I call?”

“I’d do it. Better safe than sorry, right?”

Julian walked over to the phone, picked it up, and put it to his ear. There was silence for a moment before CLICK!

“Domi?”

“No, this is Julian.”

“Uh-oh. I’ll be right over.”

Seems like Domingo really was planning for this to go wrong. Julian kept watch by the window until he saw Mordos’s car pull up.

“What can I do?” Angel offered, and Julian felt himself at a loss.

“I…I don’t know. Lily needs you here. Just stay by the phone in case he comes back, okay?”

“You call me if you need help, alright?”

“I promise,” Julian pulled his scarf back on and rushed outside to talk to Mordos. “Do you know where he is?”

“Yeah, but getting there isn’t the problem. Getting him out is gonna be the struggle,” Mordos opened the passenger side door for Julian, who whimpered.

“What?”

“Nothing. Nothing, I…I can do this,” Julian nodded to himself and got into the car. Mordos got back to his seat, and the car took off.

“Shit!”

“Might wanna buckle up,” Mordos grinned, and took a sharp turn. Julian screamed as they nearly hit a car, and was amazed they hadn’t rolled off into a ditch along the way.

“So! This one’s gonna be on you, Jules.”

“Me?”

“I’ll help you, but I can’t do all this alone. Where Domingo is,” Mordos paused and whipped around another corner. Julian nearly threw up right there. “It’s a pocket space, a world all on its own. Domingo teach you any tricks for this job?”

“Just, just a few things!”

Suddenly, Mordos pulled into an alley and began to slow down. Julian melted against his seat, finally able to relax.

“The place where we’re going is a fae kingdom. It’s small, but they take it seriously. Their magic is hard to understand, so just follow my lead, and you’ll be fine.”

“Fae, like…fairies?”

“One in the same, sort of. Depends on origins and all that but yeah,” Mordos stopped the car and shut it off before gesturing to a strange monster figurine on his dashboard. “Keep this with you.”

“…what will it do exactly?”

“Might save your ass. You focus on getting Doming, I’ll make sure we all get out of there alive.”

“What do I do with this?”

“If you get in trouble, throw it.”

“How the hell is that going to help?”

“Let’s make it a surprise,” Mordos winked and got out of the car. Julian quickly followed, and they walked up to what looked like an old, long-abandoned house.

“This is it?”

“Consider this the front door of the place where we’re going,” Mordos walked inside and looked around. “He should have left-there it is!” They both made their way over to a circle drawn in the floor. On its edges were some flower petals, black rocks, and a small pile of what looked like sugar.

“Alright, stand there in the middle,” Mordos guided Julian over. “And hey, don’t look so worried.”

“What if I can’t do this?” Julian felt panic bloom in his chest, but Mordos just smiled.

“I wouldn’t have brought you along if you couldn’t,” He suddenly grabbed Julian’s arms, and gave him a shove. Julian grunted, rocked back by the motion, and as he blinked, he was sucked into a void of color and sound. He stared around in awe, hands clasping the figurine to his chest. When it was over, he stood at the edge of a gate lining the most unkempt garden he had ever seen. Julian looked down at the circle and carefully stepped out of it.

“…Domingo?”

There came no response. What was he supposed to do now? Domingo had taught him just a few things, but since he spent more time at the desk, Julian hadn’t felt he needed to know too much. He’d looked through some of the books Domingo kept in the office, but there was so much to learn, so much to try and comprehend. Julian started to walk towards the gate before him, heart racing. He saw a house just beyond the wild bushes and messy plants, and wondered if Domingo was in there. It was his best bet at this point. Just as Julian reached the gate, he heard a rustle in the trees, and the crunching of dirt behind him. He whipped around and nearly smacked Mordos in the face with his own figurine.

“Relax!” Mordos jumped back. “It’s just me.”

“You drove like a lunatic, pushed me into some weird pocket dimension, and then you sneak up on me and tell me to relax!”

“Yeah,” Mordos didn’t seem to see the issue. “Look, see that house? Domingo’s in there. You wanna help him, you have to relax. Fae love to play tricks and games. Focus on Domingo, alright?”

“I am,” Julian scowled, hands shaking.

“No, I mean really focus. Picture his face in your head, and keep thinking about it. The magic here is stronger than it is in other places. We could accidentally walk out of here with a frog and think it’s him.”

Julian stared at Mordos and took a moment to collect his thoughts. He focused hard on Domingo’s image, but it was like trying to focus on a memory that wasn’t his. He remembered silver hair, and magenta eyes.

“Got it?” Mordos put his hand on Julian’s shoulder.

“I…think I do.”

“Hang onto that. I’ll go around back. First one to find Domingo owes the loser a drink,” Mordos flashed Julian a smile before his body suddenly morphed, and where Mordos once stood was now nothing but shadows creeping along the ground. It moved fast and soon vanished from sight. Julian looked up at the house, and pushed open the gates in front of him. He felt something move beyond the leaves surrounding him, like it was trying to reach out and grab him.

 _Focus on Domingo. Focus on Domingo,_ he tried to remind himself. Julian walked up to the front door, and gave a firm knock. There was a rumbling inside, and Julian feared for a moment the floor might open up and swallow him. The door opened, and the same guard that greeted Domingo stared down at Julian.

“Mortal.”

“I, I…I’m here looking for, for my friend!”

The guard let out a snort and let Julian inside. Julian took a step, and felt something crunch under his shoe. When he looked down, he saw one of Domingo’s earrings there. He felt his chest go tight, and he fought not to cry.


End file.
